Editor’s note: The following story has been updated to reflect several corrections, including the actual response time by the ambulance and the location from where it came.
Carroll County Commissioners met April 7 and discussed a 911 call from Thursday’s meeting.
911 Coordinator Sgt. Sam LeMonte attended the meeting. Commissioner Robert Wirkner said he, LeMonte, and Sheriff Calvin Graham met to review a recent incident.
The incident occurred at the Ashton Museum, where someone required an ambulance. The response time was approximately 17 minutes.
The call came in at 14:44, and by 14:48, the caller was told someone would be dispatched immediately. The dispatcher provided medical advice over the phone, but fortunately, someone on the Ashton Museum tour had training and was able to assist. The ambulance ultimately arrived at 15:05.
With two nearby ambulances already out on calls, the LifeTeam EMS ambulance was in a location between Minerva and Malvern when it was dispatched to Carrollton.
LeMonte, Wirkner, and Graham concluded that a key improvement would be to obtain an estimated time of arrival (ETA) during emergency responses. LeMonte noted that it’s possible to contact a different ambulance agency if the primary one is unavailable — whether due to distance or other factors.
She said she has spoken with the Sheriff about reaching out to multiple ambulance services and intends to secure a response time with every call going forward.
“All ambulance services are privately owned,” Wirkner explained. “The dispatcher can notify them, but beyond that, we have no control over what happens. The most we can do is ensure the dispatcher obtains an ETA.”
LeMonte said she spoke with the complainant, who understands that EMTs did all they could. She was able to answer every question they had.
“We hope the victim is recovering well and can return to normal as quickly as possible,” said Wirkner.
In other business, the commissioners:
—Approved a contract with Superior Paving for the Carroll County 2025 resurfacing project at a cost of $646,744.
—Appointed Commissioner Donald E. Leggett and Commissioner Wirkner, along with Treasurer Jeff Yeager, to the County Investment Advisory Committee. The committee is required to meet quarterly.
—Paid bills totaling $50,734.29.